Chapter 1 Feelings Generator

3Copyright material from Dr Louise Lightfoot (2020), Supporting Children with Depression to Understand and Celebrate Difference, Routledge.

The feelings generator can help us to understand the feelings that maybe causing our behaviour. There are often many different names used to describe the same feeling and this can make it tricky to understand and express how we are feeling.

Below is an example of how the feeling ‘angry’ can be described in different ways:

Angry = mad, grumpy, frustrated, annoyed, irritated, furious, cross, fuming, raging

Can you think of anymore?

Continue to fi nd others names for the following feelings:

u Scared

u Anxious

u Happy

u Ashamed

u Proud

u Sad

u Bad

Do you notice anything about the terms? Do some seem stronger than others? Do some fi t into more than one category? Having a big emotional vocabulary can help to express our feelings and needs to others.

suppor ting Children with Depression to Understand and Celebrate Difference

4 Copyright material from Dr Louise Lightfoot (2020), Supporting Children with Depression to Understand and Celebrate Difference, Routledge.

Using the fl ash cards provided overleaf, write down the different feelings and see if, when you mix them all together, you are able to group these feelings back with the initial term. For example, all feelings related to angry would be placed under the ‘angry’ fl ash card.

Additional activities:

u Photocopy the fl ash cards so there are two sets of each feeling. Use these to play ‘snap’. This helps to improve word recognition.

u Place the photocopied fl ash cards on a table in a random order paying close attention to the cards. Then turn them over and pick up two cards displaying the same feeling if you can remember where the cards are! Set aside each matched ‘pair’. This can be played alone or with others. The person with the most pairs wins! This game improves memory and attention.

u Mix the cards up and use to play charades. Each person should pick a card and act out that feeling whilst the other players guess. This can be done in a pair or in teams. This is useful in supporting emotional intelligence and for recognising behaviours in ourselves and others.

Chapter 1 Feelings Generator

5Copyright material from Dr Louise Lightfoot (2020), Supporting Children with Depression to Understand and Celebrate Difference, Routledge.